


Stand By Him

by slimberry



Category: The Walking Dead (Telltale Video Game)
Genre: Angst, F/M, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Piano, Trauma
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-10
Updated: 2019-06-10
Packaged: 2020-04-24 04:44:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,557
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19166068
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/slimberry/pseuds/slimberry
Summary: From his capture by the Delta, Louis was severely traumatized when his tongue was severed. To help calm his thoughts and, to hopefully get him talking, you play his beloved instrument: the piano.





	Stand By Him

**Author's Note:**

> I wanted to take a break from Danganronpa and write a fic for my main homie, Louis.
> 
> I hope you enjoy!

The school was dreadfully silent.

 

You had to, reluctantly, get used to the quiet when the Delta had captured Louis.

 

You had missed the laughs, the jokes, the games, and especially the music that always echoed through the halls.

 

You admitted countless times that you hated silence, as it sets you into that same reality that the world has changed, that the world will never be the same again. When you had a future ahead of you, friends to laugh and joke with, a place to call your home.

 

But, even after getting him back, after risking all of your lives to infiltrate the boat… you were still greeted with silence each time you walked into the dormitories.

 

Louis had sheltered himself in the room with the grand piano, in the corner by the giant window. He's been silent ever since he got back. Thankfully, he's been eating and drinking, which only lead to calming your nerves a bit.

 

Only a bit.

 

He was in bad shape… what they did to him couldn't be reversed. It was sick, cruel, and unjust.

 

He didn't deserve what happened to him.

 

When you personally assigned yourself to be the one to care for him, you didn't expect his silence, nor how he never moved unless you turned your back.

 

And since he was facing away from the piano, you felt it right to try to calm him down, get him comfortable enough to try and communicate with you.

 

By playing the instrument he felt so much more comfortable with.

 

You started out with the slow, easy songs, just to fill the space with something calming. There was no rush, no need to speed up. Not that you didn't want him to get pumped up, but his own thoughts, his pain… his trauma… it haunts him.

 

Without his tongue, he doesn't have a voice. His once beautiful voice he used to sing, joke, laugh… was gone. Much like a walker, he can only make noises, but… he can cry like the human he was. You've heard him crying when he thinks you aren't listening.

 

It hurt, to know he was suffering and you couldn't do anything about it. You couldn't touch him without him flinching, couldn't speak without him jumping… couldn't move without him curling in on himself. 

 

So when you had started to play, you knew playing softly, delicately, you’d be able to help him calm down. 

 

The sun was making its descent when you had started to play. The softest songs you knew flowed from your fingertips, happy, sad, the like, you played what you had stored to memory long before this all happened. Now, it was deep in the night, and you used a candle to keep some light in the room. From an old TV Show you used to watch, the soundtracks were soft, light, peaceful. Some of the most calming works of music you ever listened to. The opening theme in particular calmed you every time you listened or played it.

 

You stopped with that song, having played for hours, your hands were tired. But, you were more concerned about your best friend. Looking over to Louis, you could see he was still facing the corner, hunched over. 

 

Pursing your lips, you closed the piano and slid out from the chair, walking over to one of the two beds you had drug up here and rested on it for the night.

 

You hoped he listened.

 

============================

 

The same thing happened the next day. Where he just sat in the corner as you played more soft and slow songs.

 

While it hurt that he hasn't responded, you knew music was his form of escaping. Of relief from the world of monsters, of nightmares. If what you played offered him that relief, then you'd play for him for eternity.

 

You took breaks to go to the bathroom, to get you both dinner, and to make sure everything was fine, but you always came back to the piano. Going from one song to the next, you threw out whatever you remembered. On some, you sang, on others, you tapped your foot. It was heaven to be able to fill the room with music, and you hoped with all of your heart that Louis heard what you were playing.

 

During the night, while you played some lullabies and songs to slow dance to, you heard the floor creak. You were by no means alarmed to it, this school was not empty, you were surprised by movement other than your own in this room. So when you felt a presence slide in next to you on the piano seat, you continued playing. Your focus was on the piano, and your hands glided across the keys like you've played them your whole life.

 

You heard a croak from next to you, like someone wanted to say something, but no words came out. Louis, surely it was him. You knew for a fact that it was him, cause when you felt arms wrap around your midsection, and a head lay on your shoulder, you felt how shaky he was.

 

You leaned your head on his, feeling his dreads press into your cheek and his shaky breath on your shoulder. 

 

It was moments later when you ended the song, and you took your hands off the keyboard to comfort him-

 

When he suddenly reached out, holding your left hand carefully in his grip. He guided it back to the piano with small sniffles and whimpers.

 

If he wanted you to keep playing, you will surely do that.

 

So, you continued, all throughout the night.

 

While you played, you could feel him relax against you even more, and when you would try to pick a new song, he'd patiently wait against you.

 

It got to the point where when you were in the middle of Für Elise, Louis had fallen asleep, completely slack against you.

 

You couldn't help but feel pride in that moment, that you helped him get some well deserved sleep.

 

You, yourself, yawned as you closed the piano, trying not to jostle him too much as you did so. 

 

Wrapping your arm around his back, you laid him fully against you so you could lift him up. You lifted his arms so they were around your shoulders, as well as his legs so they were wrapped around your hips. You grunted with effort as you stood, walking over to the mattresses and setting him down on the one furthest from the door, while you took the one next to him. You heard his soft breathing, and immediately you were calm, falling asleep yourself only minutes later.

 

============================

 

It was still night when something had disrupted your sleep, but… it wasn't something unpleasant. Merely, you woke up to someone playing the piano, softly, soothingly.

 

Like the piano was made for them.

 

Rubbing your still tired eyes, you sat up to see Louis, whom you thought was asleep, playing the piano.

 

His back was facing you, so he couldn't have noticed that he woke you up. 

 

Yawning softly, you stood, stretching your tired limbs and letting out a silent sigh. You trekked from the bed to the piano, yawning once more along the way. 

 

As you got closer, you could see that he seemed in his own mind space, very oblivious to the footsteps that were heading his way. So, careful as ever, you sat down beside him, not wanting to alert him enough to stop playing. 

 

You watched as he played his beloved instrument, trying your best to stay awake, it's been a while since you've heard him play and all.

 

He was more experienced than you when it came to playing, so you were keen to watch him play in this moment before it went away.

 

Before you knew it, the song ended, and he took a deep breath, opening his tired eyes to look down at you.

 

You couldn't help the smile that grew across your cheeks, extremely happy to see him play again. But, you didn't want to alarm him with your movements, so you slowly wrapped your arms around him, burying your face into his shoulder. You said what you felt, and encouraged him to play more if he wasn't tired. He let out a soft hum, letting you adjust so you didn't get in the way of his arms, and continuing with some Disney songs. 

 

You hummed with the melodies, sang softly when you didn't yawn, and especially joined in when he prompted.

 

Much like the old times, you both weren't scared to pour your hearts out through the piano, and especially now when he had so much pent up emotions over his trauma, you were glad to be the one to help him come out of his shell.

 

Though, your own sluggishness and how tired you were caught up to you in almost no time at all. So, you found yourself leaning against Louis, just like he did to you hours prior. He let his right hand rub circles into your back, while the other continued playing. You yawned, resting against him with a grumble of why this happened at night.

 

And for the first time in a while, you heard him chuckle.

 

You let another smile grow on your face, and soon, you were out like a light.


End file.
